Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriors who,…Richard Baxter's Catholick theologie plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriours who,…

174. In the issue of all these Controversies, the sharpest contenders seem agreed, whether they will or no: Arminius granteth that all events of sin or damnation are from eternity necessary necessitate consequentiae, ^*which is (as is said) but a Logical necessity in ordine probandi: that is, It is a good consequence, [This God fore-knoweth, ergo it will come to pass:] And it is only the necessitas consequentis which he denieth; (which Rob. Baronius Metaph. calleth necessitas causata, and I had rather call necessitas effecti) which is in ordine productionis. And Dr. Twiss doth sharply reprehend him for feigning that he or any others do assert any more than necessitas consequentiae: And bringeth in the testimony of many Schoolmen professing concordantly that there is no more than this, which also fore-knowledge it self will infer; It's worth ⟨p. 30⟩the reciting: Vindic. Grat. Li. 2. p. 1. Digres. 5. [Quid quod ab eruditis eadem statuitur necessitas ab utraque profluens, tam à praescientia Dei quam ab ipsius Voluntate. Nam licet Arminius voluerit necessitatem à Dei voluntate profectam esse necessitatem Consequentis, à praescientia verò promanantem duntaxat Consequentiae; aliter tamen visum est magnis Theologis. Sic enim Durandus [Non bene dicunt illi qui dicunt quod omnia de necessitate eveniant per comparationem ad Voluntatem divinam; quia omnia respectu Voluntatis Divinae eveniunt libere; & ideo absolute loquendo possunt non evenire.] Expressius Bonaventura [Dei voluntatem absolutam necesse est impleri; conditionalem verò minime: sed advertendum quod est necessitas consequentiae, sicut praedictum est de praescientia: Ipsa enim non habet necessitatem consequentis sed consequentiae; Quia necessario infertur & sequitur, Deus praescivit hoc; Ergo hoc erit: Sed tamen non necessario praescit: quia in actu praesciendi frequenter notatur effectus contingens. Sic intelligendum est quod Voluntas Dei absoluta connotat eventum rei, & ideo est ibi necessitas consequentiae: sed non consequentis; quia non mutat eventum rei—unde sicut praescientia quia necessario infert effectum, non potest falli: sic voluntas absoluta quia necessario infert (that is, in arguing) non potest impediri.]²

174. In the issue of all these Controversies, the sharpest contenders seem agreed, whether they will or no: Arminius granteth that all events of sin or damnation are from eternity necessary necessitate consequentiae,